Draft gear



Jan. `29, 1935. E, H scHMlDT 1,989,157

DRAFT GEAR A Filed Nov. 18; 195o 3 sheets-sheet 2 lbtowmg I v [g/Ul,-

Jan. 292 1935. E. H. scHMlDT DRAFT GEAR s sheets-shea 3 Filed Nov. 18, 19507/ BY ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 29, 1935 t i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Ernest 11. schmidt, civelananights, ohiaassignor toNational Malleable and Steel Castings gililrjnpany, Cleveland, Ohio, a. corporation of o `Application November 1s, 1930, serial No. 496,387 1o claims. (o1. 213-36) This invention has for itsobject the provision of anovel and improved railwaydraft gear. One of the features of the invention resides inthe provision of improved spring seating means for cooperation with the friction shoes of a draft gear vwhereby the-spring seating means and shoes are maintained in proper relatio-nto each-*other and'full'bearing of each shoeupon its associated springseat is insured.. The invention also provides effectively -for preventing :the spring seating means from engaging the case of thedraft gear. A furtherfeature-comprises-the provision of novel andeiiicient -means wherebya central friction 4member separable from the gear case maybe interengaged'withsaid case and retained in engagementtherewith. Other features of the invention will be hereinafter described and claimed. f

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is alongitudinal sectional viewof one formof draft gear `embodying my invention.

Fig.'2 is a sectional View on line`2-2 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View on line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail end elevational View of onel of the spring seats shown in=Figs`. 1, 2,`and 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail'long'itudinal sectional view showing a modified form of spring seat and friction shoes substituted for the shoes and spring seat of the draft gear in Figs. lto 3.

Fig. 6 is a detail front'elevation of one of the spring seats on Fig'. 5.

Fig. 7 is a detail plan view of said springseat.

lthe `components of the y central friction member offFig. 8. 1 Y Y Fig.'11 isla detail longitudinal sectional View showing a further modified form of central Yfric- `tion member interengaged with the vdraft vgear case.

Fig. 12 is aperspective view of one ofthe components ofthe central frictionmember of Fig.f11. Fig. '13 is a'plan'view of the central friction 'member of Figs. 1 to 3. I

Fig.' 14is a sideelevation of -said central fricltionmember of Figs'. 1 to'3.

Fig. 15 is a front endelevation of said central `friction memben Fig. 16 is `.a transverse sectional A`view. on line 'Fig. 17 is a transverse ysectional view on line 1117-17 of1Fig51, with the central friction member,

spring, and retaining bolt omitted.

Fig. 18 is a transverse sectional viewfonline 184-18 of'Fig. 8, Withthe central'friction member and retaining'boltomitted. f Y l Similar Vreference numerals designate similar parts'throughoutvthe several views. y

Referring zto the 'formof my yinventionkshown in Figs. 1, v2, Aand I3 `of theWdra-wings, there-"is shown a draft gear including af case 2, which-has extending Vinwardly from its rear :end :Wall `3 'a central projection 4. Saidlprojectionincludes@ 'forward extension 4' shownfas 'semi-cylindrical in shape, yand provided 'Witha semi-circular recess 5. Interengaged With-projection '4 -is #a central friction member 6 having upper andflower frictionsurfaces"l, '7,engage`d bythe respective `friction shoesl, 8. Said central'friction member is provided with an upwardly extending projec- =tion\9, the rear face 9 of which isadapted to abut the front-end ofthe vextension 4'. Also, said central friction member 'has a -rear portion 6 complementalto the forward Aportion V4 of projection 4; said rear portion'l' yhaving-an'upward vextension -6 rand v,lug f10,-are recessed -to receive aretaining bolt l11 which extends longitudinally throughl saidl elements as' shown.

The inclined faces` ofthe faces 12, 12, of'fa wedgel-B. Thebolt 11i-serves 'not only to Vretain the central friction `member and yprojection '4in inter-engagedrelatio-nl but also `extends through the wedge 13, as shown, and

thus maintains the latten'together with thel shoes L8, -8, in assembledrelation to 'thecase 2. A-nut 14is-applied tothe'rear end of-boltf11andfis received within a counterbored-portion -1-5 offthe -projection' 4.

The rear face `16 'ofI eachiof-the'frietion shoes -isengagedby a corresponding oneof apair of rspring seat members 117, 17. Both ofsaid spring seat'members are engage'd'fby the forward end-of vthe spring 18, .which islocated.withinithecase '2 and surrounds the frictionfmember/Bfand projection :4 aforesaid, said spring fbearing :at its :reanendzagainst the Wall/'3 of thel Each 4- n `friction shoes-8, A, areengaged ,bythe correspondingly 1 incline'dsurshoulders 20, 20 of each spring seat are extended beyond the rear face of the seat to form extensions or lugs 20', 20, and the latter, as shown, extend inside the coils of the spring l18. The

distance from each lug 20 to the `inner surface of the adjacent coil of said spring is less than the distance from the outer surface of the spring seat to the inner wall or surface ofthe case 2. Movement of each spring seat transversely of the case a sumcient extent to engage the side of the case is thus prevented by the engagement of lugs 20 with the spring 18. It will be further noted that through the projections 8 of the shoes 8 the latter are afforded an extended bearing on the friction member 6.

It will be apparent that compression ofthe gear in either buff orpull produces relative movement between the shoes 8, 8 and the central friction member and that compression'of said gear is resisted both by the spring 18 and by the frictionggenerated between said shoes and friction member. The surfaces 7, 7 of said friction member are shown at f-or engagement by the corresponding flat surfaces of the shoes, and, in addition, said surfaces 7, 7 .are shown inclined or tapered upwardly from front to rear with respect to the longitudinal axis of the gear; such taper ofthe friction member increasing the friction developed during compression of the gear. The amount of taper may, of course, be varied as desired, or the facesy 7, 7 may be parallel to the longitudinal .axis df `the gear. The distance ,betweenA the fiange 13' of the wedge and the common to both friction shoes, is provided, separatespring seats are provided for therespective shoes. With this arrangement, if any sticking ofvone of the shoes should occur, a substantial .portion of the power ofthe spring is nevertheless available for action upon the other shoe.

In Figs.rv 5 and 6 there are shown modified forms of spring seat and friction shoes which may be substituted for the spring seats and shoes of Figs. 1, 2, and 3.A The friction shoes 21, 21 vof Figs. 5 and Gare engaged by the respective spring seat members 22, 22. Each of said spring seats has on its forwardface a pair of` lugs 23, 23, which vextend on opposite sides of the associatedl shoe 21 for preventing angular movement between said shoe and spring seat. Extending from the rear face of each spring seat is a flange 24 which projects Vinside the spring 18 and is engageable with said spring, to prevent the spring Y Aand a correspondingly modified means for interengaging the latter with the case 2. Otherwise,

the elements in Fig. 8 are the same as those in Fig; 1.v The central friction membershown in Eig.; 8,.and also in Figs.9 and 10, consists of two Shoulders 20, 20 in said notched portion component elements 25, 25, each having a slightly inclined or tapered plane surface 25 for engagement with the corresponding shoe 8. The opposite surface of each of said friction elements 25, 25 is recessed at 26 for the reception of the retaining bolt 11. The case 2 has an inwardly extending central projection 27 having an opening 27 for the retaining bolt 11. Said extension 27 is provided with forward extensions 28, 28 (Figs.

.8 and 18) which are undercut or recessed at 29, '29, to provide lugs 30, 30, respectively. The rei spective central friction member sections 25, 25

are notched at 31, 31 to provide lugs 32, 32, which lugs are inserted into the respective recesses 29,

29, as shown. The lugs 30, 30 are at the same time adapted to enter into the notched portions 31, 31 of said sections, and to engage the respective lugs 32, 32. The sections 25, 25 of the friction vmember may be conveniently assembled into proper relation to each other and to the case 2 by Vinserting the upper section into onel side of the case and engaging its lug 32 with the adjacent side portion of the upper recess 29, and inserting the lower section into the opposite side of the case and engaging its lug 32 with the adjacent portion of the lower recess 29, and then shifting the respective sections 25, 25 laterally in opposite directions until the upper section overlies the lower and their recesses 26 are in registry with each other and with the opening 27 of extensions 27.

A furtheralternative construction of friction member is shown in Figs. 11 and 12. The friction member there shown consists of two sections 33, 33, each of which has a. friction face for engagement by the associated friction shoe and is recessed on its opposite surface at 34 for the reception of the retaining bolt 11. At its rear end each sectiony 33 has a curved portion 33 in the interior of which is a counter-sunk semi-annular recess 35 and a semi-annular lip or flange 36. The extension 37 from the rear Wall of the case 2 has avprojection comprising an annular recessed portion 38 and an annular flange 39. The sections 33, 33 may be readily fitted into engagement with said projection by engaging the flanges 36 ofthe respective sections withv the annular recess 38, at which time the flange 39 engages the recesses 35 of said sections as shown in Fig. 11.

The case 2 maybe provided with openings 40, 40, in the opposite sides, as shown in Figs. 17 and 18, said holes being positioned opposite the forward portion of the central inwardly extending projection of the case so that the surfaces thereof may be readily cleaned and smoothed prior to the engagement of the central friction member therewith. f

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used asv terms of description and not Vequivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but recognize that various 'modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

I claim: y, 1,. 'In a draft gear, a case, a friction member in' said case, a friction shoe engaging said friction member, a spring seat engaging said fric- `tion shoe, a spring engaging saidspring seat, said.

friction shoe havingan extension engaging said friction member and projecting through said spring seat, means on said spring seat cooperat- .ing with Athe sides of said shoe for preventing angular movement between said shoe-and said seat,

and means on said spring vseat extending inside said spring for preventing movement of said seat into engagement with said case.

2. In a draft gear, a central friction member, friction shoes engaged with said member, on opposite sides thereof, spring seat members engaging the respective shoes, interengageable means on said spring seat members and their respective shoes for preventing angular movement therebetween, and a spring common to said spring seat members and engaging the same.

3. In a draft gear, friction shoe members, spring seat members engaging the respective shoe members, means carried by one of said members for engagement with opposite sides ofthe other respective member for preventing angular movement between each shoe member and its associated spring seat member, a friction member engaged by said friction shoe members, spring means engaging said spring seat members for resisting movement of said shoe members in one direction, and wedge means engaging said shoe members and adapted to move the latter against the action of said spring means.

4. In a draft gear, friction shoe members, spring seat members engaging the respective shoe members, means carried by one of said members to engage the other respective member for preventing angular movement between each shoe member and its associated spring seat member, a spring common to said spring seat members, one end of said spring engaging said spring seat members for opposing movement of said shoes, abutment means for the opposite end of said spring, and means cooperating with said shoes for moving the same against the action of said spring and for causing friction to be developed during said movement.

5. In a draft gear, a case circular in cross section, friction shoe members in said case, spring seat members engaging the respective shoe members, spring means bearing against an end of said case and engaging said spring seat members, interengageable means on each spring seat member and the respective friction shoe member for preventing angular movement therebetween, and means cooperating with said shoe members for moving the same against the action of said spring means and for causing friction to be developed during said movement.

6. In a draft gear, a case circular in cross section, friction shoe members in said case, spring seat members engaging the respective shoe members, a spring bearing at one end against an end of said case and engaging said spring seat members at its opposite end, interengageable means on each spring seat member and the respective friction shoe member for preventing anguiar movement therebetween, and means cooperating with said shoe members for moving the same against the action of said spring and for causing friction to be developed during said movement.

7. In a draft gear, a case circular in cross section, friction shoe members in said case, spring seat members engaging the respective shoe members, a spring bearing at one end against an end of said case and engaging said spring seat members at its opposite end, interengageable meansk on each spring seat member and the respective friction shoe member for preventing angular movement therebetween, said spring seat members having means cooperating with said spring means for preventing engagement between said spring seat members and said case, and means cooperating with said friction shoe members for moving the same against the action of said spring and for causing friction to be developed during said movement.

8. In a draft gear, a case, a central friction member in said case, friction shoes engaged with said member on opposite sides thereof, spring seat members engaging the respective shoes, interengageable means on said spring seat members and their respective shoes for preventing angular movement therebetween, a spring surrounding said central friction member and bearing at one end against said case; said spring at its other end engaging said spring seat members.

9. In a draft gear, a case, a friction shoe in said case, a friction element engaged by said shoe, a spring seat member engaging said shoe, a spring surrounding said friction element and engaging said spring seat, an extension on said member projecting inside said spring for cooperating with the latter to prevent engagement of said member with said case, and interengageable means on said shoe and said member preventing angular movement therebetween.

10. In a draft gear, a case, a friction member in said case, friction shoes engaging said friction member, spring seat members engaging the respective shoes and each extending as close to the case as does the associated shoe, a spring engaging said spring seat members, an extension on each said spring seat member projecting inside said spring for cooperating with the latter to prevent engagement of said member with said case, and interengageable means between each shoe and its associated spring seat member preventing angular movement therebetween, and

Wedge means for moving said shoes along said friction member against the resistance of said spring.

ERNEST H. SCHMIDT. 

